Some critical of Silva's moves after calling in sick to council

Thursday

Jul 3, 2014 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - Mayor Anthony Silva called in sick for Tuesday night's special meeting of the City Council, but at about the same moment his colleagues were casting an important vote he was helping out at a fireworks stand, and a short time later spoke at a Neighborhood Watch meeting in Weston Ranch.

Roger Phillips

STOCKTON - Mayor Anthony Silva called in sick for Tuesday night's special meeting of the City Council, but at about the same moment his colleagues were casting an important vote he was helping out at a fireworks stand, and a short time later spoke at a Neighborhood Watch meeting in Weston Ranch.

Silva confirmed his activities of the previous night on Wednesday afternoon, but he also insisted he had been too ill to attend the council meeting and added that criticism of his actions was overblown and politically motivated.

The mayor also acknowledged endorsing City Council candidates Rick Grewal and Christina Fugazi during the Neighborhood Watch meeting.

"I was sick all (Tuesday)," Silva said Wednesday afternoon, adding that the previous night's council meeting was the first he had missed in 18 months as mayor. "I didn't make any meetings yesterday. I did stop by the (fireworks stand). I made sure it was staffed, that somebody was in there. It was probably 11 or 12 minutes until the next shift came.

"Then I went off, made my speech (in Weston Ranch), then went to bed. I didn't miss the council meeting to go to the booth."

The council voted 5-1 Tuesday to spend $75,000 to put amendments to the city's charter on the November ballot. The charter revision process began more than one year ago after Silva established a commission to review the city's constitution.

Vice Mayor Paul Canepa led Tuesday night's meeting in Silva's absence. Canepa said Silva texted him at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday to tell him he would not be at the meeting a few hours later but never told him he was ill.

"He asked me to cover, so I covered," Canepa said. "That's what the vice mayor is for. I held up my end of the bargain."

Other council members were more critical of Silva.

"That's not what we as council members or the mayor should be doing," said Councilman Elbert Holman, who is running for re-election against Grewal. "The priority should be the city's business. That was important last night, talking about the charter. ... I think the first responsibility is to do what we were elected to do."

Dyane Burgos Medina, the incumbent running against Fugazi, added, "If you can drag yourself out of bed for a community event, you can come and vote on something so important like the charter."

Fugazi, who attended the Neighborhood Watch meeting, did not respond to a phone message Wednesday. Grewal did not attend the Neighborhood Watch meeting.

The mayor also was criticized Wednesday by the Stockton Police Department. Spokesman Joe Silva issued a statement in which he said it was inappropriate for the mayor to make political endorsements at a Neighborhood Watch meeting.

"The purpose of Neighborhood Watch is to create a partnership between the community and law enforcement to educate, increase awareness and facilitate communication about how to reduce crime-related issues in their neighborhood," said Joe Silva, who is not related to the mayor. "At no time should a Neighborhood Watch meeting be allowed to be used as a political platform."

The mayor confirmed making the endorsements, adding, "Somebody asked me what we needed to help Stockton move forward. I said some new faces on the City Council."

Councilman Michael Tubbs responded, "It's a sad commentary that while those he wasn't endorsing were at the City Council meeting doing his job helping to govern the city, he was out campaigning against them. As a colleague, I'm offended."

But Anthony Silva said he is being unfairly targeted. He said Tubbs escaped criticism after missing the funeral of a police officer who died last month in the line of duty.

"I had to change a flight to go to the funeral," said Silva, adding he delayed travel to Texas to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors so he could attend the service. "A councilmember missing a police officer's funeral is a pretty big deal."

Tubbs said he would have been at the funeral if his flight back from a conference in Chicago had not been delayed. He also blasted Silva for trying to deflect criticism onto him.

"It's just indicative of his leadership," Tubbs said. "That's what we've been working with for the past two years, so I'm not surprised."

Silva said he went Tuesday evening to help out at a fireworks stand in the parking lot of West Lane Bowl where the proceeds are designated to benefit the Kids Club of Stockton.

The Kids Club formerly was the Boys & Girls Clubs of Stockton. For much of 2013, Silva simultaneously served as Stockton's mayor and as president of the Boys & Girls Clubs, but he resigned late last year, not long before the club was stripped of its charter by the national organization.

After leaving the fireworks stand Tuesday, Silva headed to the Weston Ranch home of Zoyla and Adolfo Moreno for the Neighborhood Watch meeting. Wearing a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops, Silva apologized for his attire and told the audience he was ill but also said he had been volunteering at the fireworks stand.

Wednesday, Silva explained why he was able to go to the stand and to Weston Ranch, but not the council meeting.

"I wasn't going to be able to sit through the entire meeting without throwing up," Silva said. "Sometimes getting dressed up and sitting through a couple of hours of a meeting, you can't do that. But you can find the energy to drive, to get out of your car, talk to residents and let them know you care, and then go (to bed)."

Zoyla Moreno posted numerous photographs of the mayor's Neighborhood Watch appearance on her Facebook page. Moreno said she was aware Tuesday that Silva had earlier missed a council meeting, and admitted she was a bit surprised he came to her gathering.

"It's like when people have work, and they call in sick, and then they go somewhere else," she added.

Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or rphillips@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/phillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.